"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." ~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
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| A Giggle a Day Keeps the Doctor at Bay... My friend Khokon in a giggle :-) |
Laughter and humor enlightens our soul. No matter how down, weary or sick we may be, we begin to feel better once we release that chuckle from the depth of our recesses. Some researchers think that laughter might just be the best medicine. It helps us feel better and it puts that spring back to our pace.
Laughing is healthy!
There's a change that happens when we laugh. That physiological change stretches our facial muscles and the effect of that laughter even moves throughout our body. Our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. It can be a quick work out. People who believe in the benefits of laughter say it can be like a mild workout -- and may offer some of the same advantages as a workout.
One laughter researcher, Dr. Wlliam Fry from Stanford University has published a number of studies of the physiological processes that occur during laughter and is often cited by people claiming that laughter is equivalent to exercise. Dr. Fry states, "I believe that we do not laugh merely with our lungs, or chest muscles, or diaphragm, or as a result of a stimulation of our cardiovascular activity. I believe that we laugh with our whole physical being. I expect that this total participation will eventually be recognized." He goes on to say, " . . . it is appropriate to conclude that humor, mirth and laughter are on the side of contributing positively to the maintenance of health and survival, from the standpoint of their physiologic effects"
Laughter is the best medicine!
There is something a Baby boomer like me have, aside from just being so mystified by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Traditionalists who until now seem not interested in retiring, have also lived with it. Some Millennials may have scanned through back issues from their parents' bookshelves. But I guess, the cynical Gen Xers never cared about it, nor the Gen 2020ers who seemed to be surgically attached to their smartphones, may not even have heard about it.
It's could still be there in your grandparents' bookshelves because it's considered a treasure. It was a sort of coffee book during our time. And who would ever forget every time the postman would deliver it in your doorsteps, it seemed to look like you've won a big-shot lottery. Hahaha.
I am referring to that little A5 magazine, with its pre-chewed articles and uplifting stories. It was the magazine that introduced us at very tender years to the world of grown-up reading.
There is one article for each day of the month and the articles are expected to have enduring value and interest. It carried original articles as well as condensed articles reprinted from other magazines. They also have book excerpts, collections of jokes, Anecdotes, Quotation, Cartoons, and other short pieces. Articles are usually short to allow busy readers to keep up with a variety of topics without investing too much time.
Among its regulars are True Stories, National Interests, Health, Games, Family, Food, Home & Garden. I can't remember well if its "Life in These Islands" that had a collection of humorous or profound reader-submitted anecdotes. All the articles are interesting reads but my all time favorites are the "Word Power" - a vocabulary-building quiz and "Laughter, the Best Medicine, a collection of jokes submitted by readers.
Laughter the best medicine” is a term coined by Reader’s Digest and it delivered small doses in every issue of the magazine. It guarantees to keep you in good humor for a long time. It's offered free of cost to selected readers (yes those who read it) of Reader’s Digest. It cannot be sold by any party, nor displayed in any bookshop, stall or retail to come. But don’t keep its benefits to yourself, — tell them to your outlet, and use it for any commercial purposes whatsoever: family, friends and colleagues. You'’ll become their favorite physician.
Growing up with "Reader's Digest" is something my kids and the rest of their age have missed. But even if you missed out that great A5 Magazine, it is no excuse for you not to enjoy laughter. After all, Laughter is the best medicine!
Here are some of Reader's Digest Laughter the Best Medicine Jokes.
You Tube: Why Coca-Cola Hired This Man to Laugh Really
It's usually not a good sign when someone starts laughing maniacally on the subway. Why did Coca-Cola hire this man to laugh really, really rard on a crowded Subway Train? This Soda brand's latest stunt from Belgium By Tim Nudd show that riders in Belgium seem to take it pretty well in this new Coca-Cola ad. The agency, Gonzales in Brussels—working off the insight that "happiness starts with a smile"—wanted to make people laugh in an environment where they rarely do. So, they hired a guy to get things started. See how it went below.
Know the lingo
From Journal of Nursing Jocularity we have a complete introduction to the language of laughter (Kuhn, 1994 as adapted by Berk, 2001).
1. Smirk: Slight, often fleeting upturning of the corners of the mouth, completely voluntary and controllable.
2. Smile: Silent, voluntary and controllable, more perceptible than a smirk; begins to release endorphins.
3. Grin: Silent, controllable, but uses more facial muscles (e.g., eyes begin to narrow).
4. Snicker: First emergence of sound with facial muscles, but still controllable (if you hold in a snicker, it builds up gas).
5. Giggle: Has a 50 percent chance of reversal to avoid a full laugh; sound of giggling is amusing; efforts to suppress it tend to increase its strength.
6. Chuckle: Involves chest muscles with deeper pitch.
7. Chortle: originates even deeper in the chest and involves muscles of torso; usually provokes laughter in others.
8. Laugh: Involves facial and thoracic muscles as well as abdomen and extremities; sound of barking or snorting.
9. Cackle: First involuntary stage; pitch is higher and body begins to rock, spine extends and flexes, with an upturning of head.
10. Guffaw: Full body response; feet stomp, arms wave, thighs slapped, torso rocks, sound is deep and loud; may result in free flowing of tears, increased heart rate, and breathlessness; strongest
solitary laughter experience.
11. Howl: Volume and pitch rise higher and higher and body becomes more animated.
12. Shriek: Greater intensity than howl; sense of helplessness and vulnerability.
13. Roar: Lose individuality; i.e., the audience roars!
14. Convulse: Body is completely out of control in a fit of laughter resembling a seizure; extremities flail aimlessly, balance is lost, gasp for breath, collapse or fall off chair.
15. Die laughing: Instant of total helplessness; a brief, physically intense, transcendent experience; having died, we thereafter report a refreshing moment of breathlessness and exhaustion with colors more vivid and everything sparkling; everything is renewed.
Humor really is good for you…
15 psychological and physiological benefits of humor
Reference: Berk, R. (2001). The active ingredients in humor: psycho physiological benefits and risks for older adults. Educational Gerontology
Eight psychological benefits of humor:
1. Reduces anxiety
2. Reduces tension
3. Reduces stress
4. Reduces depression
5. Reduces loneliness
6. Improves self-esteem
7. Restores hope and energy
8. Provides a sense of empowerment and control
Seven physiological benefits of laughter:
1. Improves mental functioning
2. Exercises and relaxes muscles
3. Improves respiration
4. Stimulates circulation
5. Decreases stress hormones
6. Increases immune system defenses
7. Increases production of endorphins
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| L a u g h t e r i s c o n t a g i o u s ! Photo Credit | HubPages |
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Gelotology (from the Greek root gelos (to laugh), is a term coined to describe the scientific study of laughter.
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